Christian Life

The King of Grace

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. – Revelation 3:7

He is the King of grace: He gives, or He withholds. The river of God’s mercy flows from underneath His throne; He sits as Sovereign in the dispensation of mercy. He hath the key of heaven; He openeth, and no man shutteth; He shutteth, and no man openeth; He calleth, and the stubborn heart obeys; He willeth, and the rebellious spirit bends its knee; for He is Master of men, and when He wills to bless, none can refuse the benediction. He reigneth in His church amidst willing spirits; and He reigns for His church over all the nations of the world, that He may gather unto Himself a people that no man can number who shall bow before the scepter of His love.

I pause here, overcome by the majesty of the subject, and instead of attempting to describe that brow, and those glittering crowns, I shall act the part of a seraph, and bow before that well-crowned head, and cry, “Holy, holy, holy, art Thou Lord God of hosts! The keys of heaven, and death, and hell, hang at Thy girdle; Thou art supreme, and unto Thee be glory for ever and ever.”~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0281.cfm

The Everlasting Diadem of the King of Heaven

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

…and on His head were many crowns… – Revelation 19:12

Let every believing eye look through the thick darkness and behold Jesus as He sits this day upon the throne of His Father, and let every heart rejoice while it sees the many crowns of dominion upon His head. There sparkles about His brow the everlasting diadem of the King of Heaven. His are the angels. The cherubim and seraphim continually bound forth His praise. At His behest the mightiest spirit delights to fly, and carry His commands to the most distant world. He has but to speak, and it is done. Cheerfully is He obeyed, and majestically doth He reign. His high courts are thronged with holy spirits, who live upon His smile, who drink light from His eyes, who borrow glory from His majesty. There is no spirit in heaven so pure that it does not bow before Him, no angel so bright that it does not veil its face with its wings, when it draweth near to Him. Yea, moreover, the many spirits redeemed, delight to bow before Him, day without night they circle His throne, singing, “Worthy is He that was slain and hath redeemed us from our sins by His blood! Honor, and glory, and majesty, and power, and dominion, and might, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” To be King of Heaven were surely enough! The ancients were accustomed to divide heaven, and earth, and hell, into divers monarchies, and allot each of them to distinct kings; and surely heaven were an empire large enough even for an infinite Spirit. Christ is Lord of all its boundless plains. He laid the precious stones upon which was builded that city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God; He is the light of that city, He is the joy of its inhabitants, and it is their loving life evermore to pay Him honor.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0281.cfm

There is Hope for the Truly Humble

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father Leave a comment

He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope. – Lamentations 3:29

Last Monday week, we had five children before the church, one after the other, whose testimony for Christ was quite as clear as that of any of the elders among us. What an important part of the congregation the boys and girls make up! I believe that there are almost as many saved among the little ones now in this congregation as there are of grown-up people, perhaps even more. Well now, if any of you who are guilty,-whether old or young,-come before the Lord, and confess your sin, and trust in Christ for mercy, you shall have mercy. I do not know who you are, and I do not care who you are; but whosoever shall come, and confess his sin in all lowliness of heart, and in faith believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall have mercy. Christ sits on His throne of grace, and stretches out the silver scepter. Bow before Him, and He will forgive your sin. The fountain is opened for sin and for uncleanness; if thou art sinful and unclean, come to the fountain that Christ has opened, and which the devil cannot close, and wash and be clean this very hour. God in infinite mercy is ready to forgive, His heart yearns over the wanderers. He stretches out His hands, and entreats thee to come back, and He is grieved until thou dost return. If there be in thy heart any sorrow for having sinned against thy God, if there be any anxiety to come back to Him, come back. If thou dost but turn thy face towards Him, whilst thou art yet a great way off, He sees, He has compassion upon thee, He runs to thee, He embraces thee. Fall into His arms now. Believe thou in His Son; trust thyself with Jesus, for He never yet failed any who trusted Him. Make Him the Trustee of thy soul, for He is a Trustee who can be trusted. Deposit in His hands thy spirit, for He is able to keep that which thou committest unto Him against that day. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2468.cfm

Submissive Silence

Sherry Attributes of God, Christian Life, repentance, salvation, The Father 1 Comment

“Let him sit alone and keep silence.”- Lamentations 3:28

If the burden of sin is pressing upon thee, be sure to abstain from all idle talk; for if the idle talk of others can distract thy thoughts, how much more would thine own! It ill becomes a man, who is on the brink of hell, to be laughing and jesting. When God is angry with thee, canst thou make mirth? I can understand how thou canst be merry when once thou hast come back to the great Father’s house, and the fatted calf is killed, and thy Father rejoices over thee; but whilst thou art still covered with thy sins, and art not yet sure of God’s forgiveness, sit silent. It is the best thing thou canst do; quietness becomes thee. Lay thy finger on thy lip till thou hast something better to speak of than thou hast as yet. Keep silence, then, from all idle talk.

Keep silence also in another respect. Do not attempt to make any excuse for your sin. Oh, how ready sinners are with their excuses! A man says, “But, sir, I have a besetting sin.” Do you not think that a great many people make a mistake about besetting sins? …The besetting sin is that which a man fights against, and wars against with all his soul, yet he is overcome by it. Do not lay any stress upon that, as though thy being beset by sin was any excuse to thee, especially if thou goest into the ways of sin. You go and sit with those who drink, and then wonder that you get drunk! You go and associate with those who swear or sing lewd songs, and then you wonder that, the next time you try to pray, a nasty verse of a bad song comes up! It is your own fault; if you go and willfully mingle with sinners, how can you be a child of God? No, when you know that anything is a sin, keep out of the temptation. He that does not want to get wet should not go out into the rain. Instead of your excuse making your case any better, it makes it worse; therefore, keep silence before thy God. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2468.cfm

Go Home Alone

Sherry Character of Jesus, Christian Life, salvation 1 Comment

The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. – Lamentations 3:25

I think that, on the Lord’s-day, when people go home after service, they sometimes make a mistake in talking with those who do not feel as they feel. If the arrows of God have entered your heart, go home alone. If there has been anything in the sermon which has been for your comfort as a Christian, go home alone. If there was anything in the sermon which has been for your warning as a sinner, go home alone. How often may even godly and gracious people talk upon some theme that may rob their fellow-believers of all the good they have received in God’s house; and, as for unconverted persons, I am sure that, if they ever feel impressed under the Word, it will be their utmost wisdom to take care of that first impression, and not let it be driven away by foolish or frivolous conversation.

Some of us are old enough to recollect the day before there were matches of the kind we now use, and early on a frosty morning some of us have tried to strike a light with flint and steel, and the old-fashioned tinder-box. How long we struck, and struck, and watched, and waited, and at last there was a little spark in the tinder, and then we would hold the box up, and blow on it very softly, that we might keep that little spark alight till we had kindled the fire that we wanted. That tenderness over the first spark is what I invite everyone to practice in spiritual matters. If you would be saved, if there is anything like feeling in your heart, if there is any good desire in your soul, do not begin to talk as soon as you get out of the Tabernacle; that would be like placing the lid on the tinder, and putting the spark out; but get alone, blow on that spark, for peradventure it may come to a flame, and you may find salvation.  ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2468.cfm

Speak to God in Prayer

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, confession of sin, prayer, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father Leave a comment

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23, 24

My dear hearer, have you ever spoken to God in all your life? Have you ever realized that there is such a King in the room with you? There is such a King; it is He who made you, and who has preserved you up to this good hour. You are, surely, not prepared to deny His existence; and if you are not, I beseech you, do not ignore that existence, and live as if there were no God. Oh, speak with Him at once! Perhaps five minutes’ earnest speech with Him may be the turning-point of your life. “I will arise and go to my Father,” was the turning-point with the prodigal; and it may be the same with you. “Oh, but I feel so guilty!” Then get alone, and say that to the Lord. “But I do not feel as I ought.” Then get alone, and tell that to God. “Oh! but I am such an unbelieving being.” Get alone, and tell out all the truth to the Lord; do not entertain a thought or a feeling which you dare not tell to Him. Do not imagine that you can hide anything from Him, for He reads your inmost heart. Then take that heart, and lay it bare before Him, and say with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” As one of God’s creatures, I could not bear to think that I had seen the glory of the midnight stars, or warmed myself in the brightness of the noonday sun, and yet had never spoken to Him who made them all and myself as well. One of our sweetest joys on earth is to speak with Him in prayer and praise, to call Him Friend, and to be on terms of sweet familiarity with the Most High. I do pray you, then, get alone for these three purposes, first, to consider your case, next, to study the Scriptures concerning your case, and then, that you may speak with God in prayer.~ C.H. Spurgeon

 

The Map to Salvation and Glory

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God 1 Comment

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. – Lamentations 3:40

I am often astounded at the ignorance there still is of what is written in God’s Word. Many persons who have even been in Sunday-schools for years, seem to be totally unaware of the plainest truths of the gospel of God’s grace; but how can we know what is revealed unless we read and study it for ourselves? Alas, the dust upon many men’s Bibles will condemn them! God has been pleased, in this Book, to give us the revelation of the way of salvation, and we ought to rush to the Book with eager anxiety to know what God has said in it; but, instead of doing so, though we can get a Bible for sixpence, and perhaps have a copy in every room in our house, how little do we read it! If you truly desire to be saved, get alone for the earnest and hearty study of the Word of God. How often you may meet with persons who profess to be infidels, yet if you press them closely enough, you will find that they have never even read the New Testament through. There are many more who are in doubt and anxiety, yet they have never gone to see what are the promises of God, and what the Lord is ready to do for them that seek Him. I beseech you, as sensible and reasonable beings, do not let God speak to you, and you refuse to hear. You need to be saved from sin, in this Book God has revealed the way of salvation, therefore do not shut up the Book, and fasten the clasps, and leave it neglected. Oh, Book of books, the map of the way to glory; that man invokes a terrible curse upon his own head who refuses to study thee! He does, in effect, shut the gate of heaven against himself, and bar the road to everlasting bliss. If you would be saved, dear friend, sit alone, and consider your case, and then study God’s thoughts concerning it.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2468.cfm